1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to methods and devices for lifting heavy loads in a construction environment, and, more particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to removably attached lifting stubs for use in safely lifting concrete slabs and other heavy objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional practices in the repair of roadways involve sawing around the periphery of a section of roadway that is to be replaced, and removing that section by lifting it up. New reinforcing bar and connectors are installed in the resulting cavity, and a new section of concrete is poured to fill the cavity, thus replacing the removed section. The rapid accomplishment of this process requires that the old concrete section be removed quickly, efficiently, and safely. This has proven to be difficult to accomplish with the available equipment. Safety has also been a concern because the concrete sections are often six to twelve feet long and two or three feet thick. They are very heavy and awkward to handle. There are no attachment points built into them, so they have to be grasped in some way so they may be pulled up out of the cavity.
Various expedients had been proposed for attaching lifting devices to heavy loads in construction environments. Lifting eyes, recessed or projecting above the surface of a load, had been permanently mounted to such loads. Anchors with separate or integral, expanding or fixed wedge elements had been inserted in bores in heavy loads to provide lifting sites. These expedients had not been entirely satisfactory.
These and other difficulties of the prior art have been overcome according to the present invention.